Published October 18, 2023 | Version v1
Dataset Open

Data from: Ocean deoxygenation caused non-linear responses in the structure and functioning of benthic ecosystems

  • 1. Université du Québec à Rimouski
  • 2. Université Laval
  • 3. McGill University

Description

The O2 content of the global ocean has been declining progressively over the past decades, mainly because of human activities and global warming. Nevertheless, how long-term deoxygenation affects macrobenthic communities, sediment biogeochemistry and their mutual feedback remains poorly understood. Here, we evaluate the response of the benthic assemblages and biogeochemical functioning to decreasing O2 concentrations along the persistent bottom-water dissolved O2 gradient of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence (QC, Canada). We report several of non-linear biodiversity and functional responses to decreasing O2 concentrations, and identify an O2 threshold that occurs at approximately at 63 µM. Below this threshold, macrobenthic community assemblages change, and bioturbation rates drastically decrease to near zero. Consequently, the sequence of electron acceptors used to metabolize the sedimentary organic matter is squeezed towards the sediment surface while reduced compounds accumulate closer (as much as 0.5 to 2.5 cm depending on the compound) to the sediment-water interface. Our results illustrate the capacity of bioturbating species to compensate for the biogeochemical consequences of hypoxia and can help to predict future changes in benthic ecosystems.

Other

Funding provided by: Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003151
Award Number: 285821

Funding provided by: Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003151
Award Number: 281864

Funding provided by: Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003151
Award Number: 322485

Funding provided by: Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response Network
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100012404
Award Number: PDF-25-202

Funding provided by: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000038
Award Number: RGPIN-2018-04982

Funding provided by: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000038
Award Number: RGPIN-2020-05627

Funding provided by: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000038
Award Number: RGPIN-2018-04421

Funding provided by: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000038
Award Number: RGPIN-2018-556538

Funding provided by: Réseau Québec Maritime*
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number:

Methods

Data collected from September 14th to 29th, 2020 on-board the R/V Coriolis II. For more details, please see section 2. Materials and methods in the associated publication.

Files

Data_incubation.txt

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